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Pregnant Smokers

Child Molestation, Rape, Murder > A pregnant mother smoking.

For reasons already pointed out.

It seems like this is more of a witch hunt agenda against tobacco companies then it is concern over someone's unborn child.

All this whining about and being offended by what someone chooses to do with their own body. Why not invest that effort being offended into something that is actually offensive.
 
If the pregnant mom's secondhand smoke is invading your personal space,...then you may have a leg to stand on in confronting her. In that case the woman is being inconsiderate...but that situation was not detailed by the OP.
 
I do feel that speaking out to a woman who obviously knows that smoking is bad (assumption based on her comment at the checkout) is an invasion of her personal freedoms and in extreme bad taste.

For me personally, It has nothing to do with being cynical or uncaring... but I do see your point as well. It is a tough call either way.

I agree sometimes it is tough to make those decisions...but I'm saying that there are many ways to approach her...one way might be like your grandmother (and by that i'm assuming you meant she was quite direct and preachy about her views, correct me if i'm wrong), or you can address the subject in an indirect way...strike up random conversation about something else and then indirectly challenge her reasons for justifying smoking (not order, command, demand, etc) by maybe telling her a personal story you have about one who has suffered/died from smoking. If you're trying to help someone with a unhealthy addiction, how is it in bad taste? I would be wrong if i DEMANDED that she stop smoking, but that's not the approach i'd go for.

And to burk48237: YES, doing anything that you know that will, with great certainty, cause physical and possible mental/psychological harm to a little child is wrong...in both cases the victim is helpless, so it is a very similar circumstance IMO
 
(and by that i'm assuming you meant she was quite direct and preachy about her views, correct me if i'm wrong)

More blunt and demeaning... she was a bitter woman and died mostly alone surrounded by the few that felt obligated to help her. But yeah, you get the idea.

you can address the subject in an indirect way...strike up random conversation about something else and then indirectly challenge her reasons for justifying smoking (not order, command, demand, etc) by maybe telling her a personal story you have about one who has suffered/died from smoking.

Sounds shady and fake actually... quite preachy as well. In this day and age, I cannot believe that there are people that still don't know that smoking is bad. Pretending to befriend / be nice to them just to tell them "a personal story you have about one who has suffered/died from smoking" isn't any more helpful for anything beyond ones own ego IMHO.
 
My mother smoked with both myself, and sister. Sis was 6 wks early, some educational disabilities. I got sports induced asthma out of it. I grew out of the asthma, and my sister grad college, and is now a director of headstarts in alabama.
I can say that I think partially one of the reasons why I am an addict (cigs, etc) is because of the smoking while I was in the womb. I was already an addict when born, subjected to cig smoke in the house until I started myself.
My sister turned out the complete opposite. Never smoked, drank 3 times her life.
Back to the OP. Whatever you would have said to this person would not make a difference, just irritate her. I'm sure you've got a few bad habits and wouldn't like a complete stranger to rag on you about them.
 
Some of people really need to pick their battles, seriously.
I wonder how many when presented with a situation on the streets actually do what they claim in an online forum what, in their opinion, is the "right" thing to do. How many have the strength of conviction to approach a stranger and give them a dissertation on how they should live their lives.

Me, I loathe drinking. Grew up with a dad who became abusive when drunk. I cant stand dealing with a drunk person. There was a bar four buildings away from the house I grew up in. I recall walking home and seeing this old guy do a head dive into the brick wall and bust himself wide open because he was too drunk to walk. This was in the early 90's when there were pop songs warning about aids. So now I got this drunk guy bleeding, and as much as I hate drunks and was concerned about aids, I could not leave him in the gutter. I may have been disgusted with his actions but still I got him to my front porch and called an ambulance.

You know I DIDNT do? Lecture him on the perils of drinking and his poor life choices. Maybe I should have "for the greater good" according to some people. To say something so hyperbolic as comparing chosing not to help some stranger out in public in peril to not lecturing some stranger out in public on their lifestyle choices is insulting and arrogant. To equate smoking, or any other less healthy lifestyle choices to rape, murder, assault, leaving the wounded to fend for themselves is asinine and invalidates any further sincere discourse.
 
As much as I think this is an incredibly selfish, foolish practice, I don't think I'd go up to someone who was doing it and say something. Sadly, it just wouldn't change anything.
 
Really? And hence one of the problems with society. So you see a woman being molested on the street, you just look the other way?:rollno:

Don't give me this BS, the entire problem is with everyone trying to police the actions of other people rather than let them take responsibility for their own actions. But hey lets throw a bucket of federal tax dollars at it and pretend we're doing something about it.


I don't really see what a woman getting molested on the street has anything to do about it, since the woman on the street has no choice in getting molested, but this dipwad certainly has a choice in how her unborn child develops or was conceived and carried to term in the first place so screw her.
 
Don't give me this BS, the entire problem is with everyone trying to police the actions of other people rather than let them take responsibility for their own actions. But hey lets throw a bucket of federal tax dollars at it and pretend we're doing something about it.

So would you rather have your tax dollars thrown at it before the fact or after? You're going to be paying either way. When smokers with no health insurance get emphysema or cancer and end up in the hospital as indigents, who do you think is paying for it? It doesn't matter if they "take responsibility for their own actions." You and I are going to be responsible for them ultimately.
 
When smokers with no health insurance get emphysema or cancer and end up in the hospital as indigents, who do you think is paying for it?
This tired old argument again. Who pays for the old who get sick due to aging, the kid who gets leukemia, or the woman hit by a car. Such a shame the poor drain the coffers of the rest of us.

You and I are going to be responsible for them ultimately.
Welcome to the human race.
 
Are you seriously comparing these situations to people who choose to smoke?

I'm saying you cannot vilify some one because it costs money to provide them with care and treat them like a human.
I'm saying its a terrible way to decide the level of dignity and comfort a human is allowed based on a financial statement.
I'm saying its sad to treat a person like an investment instead of a fellow human.

I see smokers, fat people, substance addicts, the poor, etc spoken of like they should have less rights to care or respect predicated upon the argument they cost money. The elderly, the sick, the weak...they cost money too. At what point do some people become less human? When they cost money? Money determines what life is worth saving and which life is not? Do we need to do a profit/ loss analysis to determine who is worthy of our love and care?

Can we not treat each other with respect, care, dignity....and forgiveness...without a cost analysis spread sheet?
 

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